news analysis If the Dewan Rakyat is a temperamental and rambunctious teenager, the Dewan Negara is its aging grandfather.

For the longest time, it was a joke among young upstart politicos that the Dewan Negara is a retirement home where old fogies appear for their 15 minutes of fame and to collect their allowances.

After the ‘political tsunami’ in the 2008 general election, the senate became the talk of the town again for being a ‘short cut’ through which BN leaders were given a cabinet post.

Under the constitution, senators have the power to push any Bill back to Dewan Rakyat for further debate, but this seldom happens.

pakatan senators syed husin ali 150310 PKR deputy president and senator Syed Husin Ali wants to change all this and bring back the glory days of the senate, when it was a lively, vibrant and respected institution that struck fear in the hearts of MPs.

In a recent statement, he said the seven senators from Pakatan Rakyat “want to see, as well as taking steps towards, making the senate into an effective institution in the Malaysian democracy”.

Calling the House a “rubber stamp” and a “dumping ground”, he said they would participate in debates and that each would be delegated certain issues.

Syed Husin also called for state-appointed senators to be increased to three - from two currently - making it a total of 39 senators to be appointed this way.

The senate is among the best known examples of institutions to be struck by the curse of encroaching federalism.

When it first sat in 1959, the ratio of state-appointed representatives to those picked by the Agong was 22:16.  In time, this went up to 26:44, and now stands at 25:39.

Those appointed by the Agong are, at least on paper, to have ‘rendered distinguished public service or have achieved distinction in the professions, commerce, industry, agriculture, cultural activities or social service or are representative of racial minorities or are capable of representing the interests of Orang Asli’.

But many of the appointments have turned out to be quite a curiosity.

NONE The most recent of these, recommended by the prime minister, include MIC deputy president G Palanivel, former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who defected to Umno, Rahim and Co executive chairperson Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman and Pagoh Wanita Umno chief Noriah Mahat.

They were sworn in this morning.

Sparks are expected with Ezam’s appointment as he widely known as a vocal critic of PKR de facto leader and former boss Anwar Ibrahim.  PKR organ Suara Keadilan has also reported that a deputy ministership awaits Ezam.

It has been speculated that Palanivel was ‘compensated’ for stepping aside for P Kamalanathan as BN’s candidate in the Hulu Selangor by-election.

'Spoilt engine'

Just less than a decade ago, the senate was a place for rites of passage for young politicians earmarked for bigger things.

Former Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz and Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi all walked the corridors of the senate in their younger years.

It prepared them to take on questions and to eventually become members of parliament - in the Dewan Rakyat, the line of fire from unrestrained Opposition MPs can often be intense.

Senators now debate on such proposals as castrating men who abandon their babies and revoking the citizenship of those who insult or oppose Malay rulers.

NONE But former senate president Abdul Hamid Pawanteh said the lacklustre atmosphere in the Dewan Negara has nothing to do with the senators themselves.

“The constitution itself has to be amended to give the House more power instead of the ‘rubber stamp’ that it is now," he said when contacted.

“If we are given a spoilt engine, how are we to run fast? If you want me to address to the reference of the quality of the senators, you are barking up the wrong tree.”

Asked about recent appointments, he wryly said: “The Agong's appointments are always made on the recommendation of the prime minister, who is a politician himself. There is also a ratio of eminent people - and it is up to you to decide who they are."

A sense of urgency is slowly making a comeback. Over the past week, two emergency motions were tabled - a rare move in itself.

NONE DAP senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim called for a debate on the alleged meddling by Rosmah Mansor into a ntv7 talk-show, while Dr S Ramakrishnan wanted to debate the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah (left) .

Although both motions were predictably shot down, it was an unusually fiesty show in the otherwise sleepy chamber.

With Pakatan senators taking that important first step to spearhead change, perhaps reviving the glory days is not such a far-fetched plan after all.

REGINA LEE is a member of the Malaysiakini team.